Thursday, March 31, 2016

If you’re looking for the perfect way to add beauty, warmth and character to your home, look no further than Saltillo tile. This authentic Mexican tile is created from durable clay that is only available in the tile’s place of origin: Saltillo, Coahuila, and Mexico. It is commonly used for flooring, as it is lovely, long lasting, and easy to clean. Popular spots to install Saltillo include kitchens, dining rooms, bedrooms, bathrooms, outdoor patios, and stairs. Tiles are available in many different shapes and sizes, and no two tiles are alike, adding to their rustic charm.

1. Work with what you’ve got
Saltillo tile is traditionally associated with Spanish-style homes, but its versatility makes it an excellent choice for many other styles, such as Mediterranean, Tuscan, Ranch, Rustic, and Southwestern. Consider the current architecture and design elements of your home, and ask yourself which aspects you’d like to change or enhance. Saltillo tile can be the finishing touch in your kitchen, the focal point in your dining room, or the theme in your bathroom. Remember that you can incorporate the surrounding décor and accents in your home to create the style you have in mind, and utilize Saltillo tile to complete that design.

2. Select the right tile finish
Rustico Tile and Stone manufactures Saltillo tile in three styles: Traditional, Manganese, and Antique. In order to choose the best style of Saltillo tile for your project, consider the character of the space where you plan to install it.
If you were to take a look inside a conventional hacienda-style dwelling, you would most likely see Traditional tile. This beautiful terra-cotta tile comes in a wide range of colors, from warm reds and oranges to golden shades of yellow. It is an ideal way to add a splash of color to neutral rooms in your home.

Manganese saltillo comes in shades of light to dark brown and terra cotta, and often has subtle black swirls that create a unique marbled pattern. If you already have plenty of color in a room, this tile will tie it all together without clashing.

Antique (often known as reclaimed terra cotta) saltillo harkens back to historic Spanish-style homes: its neutral, earthy tones and lush texture will bring a touch of Old World beauty to your modern space. Try it in your bathroom or outdoor areas, where its non-slip surface is particularly valuable.

3. Shape up your space
Customizing the shape of your tile will add even more character to your final saltillo design. Each shape and size is available in any of the three finishes listed above, and each type brings its own unique ambiance to a home.
If you’re going for a simple yet sophisticated approach, try Rustico’s standard 12”x12” tile. It offers the best value, and is the most commonly ordered option.

If you want to make a statement with your space, decorative shapes will fit your personality to a T. Try hexagonal or octagonal tiles to add depth and complexity to a floor, and select a hand painted talavera tile insert to add a dash of charisma. Or choose a pattern: Riviera (Rustio’s most popular option) is created using San Felipe and Fleur de Lis tiles), while Arabesque (another favorite) uses San Felipe tile on its own. These designs bring a touch of hacienda style to any room, while also accommodating modern décor.

4. Size up your room
It’s important to consider the dimensions of your space when selecting your saltillo tile. The right size will showcase the room to its fullest potential, so incorporate square footage, ceiling height, and even furniture size into your design. If you’re styling a large room, and have large statement furniture, don’t be afraid to use 16”x16” or 18”x18” tiles, which will expand the depth of your room even further. If you have a grand entranceway or living area, boldly go where you’ve never gone before with beautiful 24”x24” tiles. On the other hand, if you have a smaller room, use small tiles to keep everything in proportion. Small tiles will also help the space seem larger: an added bonus on top of the beauty of the design.

5. Leave no area unfinished
Too often, stairs are just a utility, taking us from one floor to the next – but you don’t have to perpetuate this stereotype. Rustico customers the world over are using their stairways as expressions of their artistic style, and you can too. Coping tile is used to cover the top of each step, while bullnose saltillo is ideal for baseboard. Create your own patterns or choose solid hues, and watch your staircase change from a bland piece of architecture to a unique work of art that enhances the style of your home.

Transition spaces are full of potential, too: use bullnose tile, or create a mosaic out of broken tiles for a traditional Spanish-style design. A good installer can work wonders by cutting, grinding, or beveling tiles to accommodate your space, so don’t be afraid to think outside the box.

Saltillo tile is a wonderful way to enhance your home, and Rustico Tile and Stoneis available to help with all of your design questions and tile needs along the way. Consult the experts anytime, and enjoy the journey of creating your dream space.

Source: Rustico Tile and Stone of Leander (near Austin), Texas

www.saltillotileconnection.com

Rustico is the largest manufacturer and distributor for authentic, handmade saltillo tile in Mexico. The company also serves as the leading national distributor for other specialty Mexican tile and stone including: Encaustic Cement Tile, Talavera, and Cantera Stone. Rustico offers wholesale

Wednesday, March 30, 2016

Tis the season for entertaining and we're turning toH&M Home to help us to dress our tables. H&M Home offers affordable prices and beautiful pieces, thus making them one of my favorite places to shop. I am especially smitten with their Balearic Bohemia collection showcased below.

I love the blues and the patterns.

I love the organic feel of this one with the graphic punches from the black and white.

Do you have a favorite? Spring has sprung and I couldn't be more happy. I will be sharing lots of "Springified" projects with you soon! Happy Wednesday! xx

Friday, March 25, 2016

When you have a house full of succulents and plants, you use them on your Easter table! Intead of flowers, I opted to use what I already had; my succulents! I also saved money in doing so. In addition to green, I added in some blues and pink with the table ware and other accessories.

I used eggs from our chickensas the place holder and placed tape at the underside of each egg to hold them in place on the plates.

Friday, March 18, 2016

Today Zion turns 7 and though it sounds cliche, I am in disbelief at how quickly the time goes. Happy birthday Zion! We love you to the moon and back! In case you're wondering about the backdrop behind him, he wanted a Minecraft party, so I made what is called a creeper(in the land of Minecraft) from paper plates. I saw the idea on Pinterest but adjusted mine by making it bigger(thus using more plates). He loved it and asked if it could stay up forever! Major Mom points for me!

Wednesday, March 9, 2016

I was invited to be a guest speaker at a local library next week and I will be speaking about how to design on a budget and save some money! Well, if you're no stranger to this blog, you know this is my area of expertise! The playroom is one of our most complimented and used spaces in our home, so I thought it would be a great space to show examples of saving on design or designing on a budget. The graphic above is quite straight forward and showcases the thrifted pieces that I gave a bit of diy.

I actually had this bookcase built for my classroom when I used to teach and brought it home when I left the classroom. It has been repurposed in the boy's playroom.

what the space looked like before i painted the chalkboard wall and the rest of the space.

a night time snap of the room during the process of "chalking/seasoning" the chalkboard wall after giving it a second coat.

What the space looks like after with the chairs and table painted and in place. I saved lots of money by thrifting furniture pieces and giving them a bit of tlc, painting the room and completing the chalkboard wall myself. Repurposing the bookcase was the best idea too! Design doesn't have to be expensive to be beautiful. xx